GREEN RECRUITING

Recruiting is the most important function of HR, which entails attracting the right person for the right job at the right time, is changing its color. Organizations are trying to tap every bit of opportunity, wanting to look different and make a good impression, so that the right candidates with the environment friendly bent of mind apply for jobs.
Green Recruiting was coined by ‘John Sullivan’ in June 2007.It is an innovative idea through which companies leverage their environmental stance, using it as an important strategy for recruitment. There has been a sharp increase in number of companies that are joining the Green recruiting bandwagon.
Green Recruitment means a paper-free recruitment process with a minimal environmental impact. Applications are invited through online mediums like e-mail, online application forms or the Global Talent Pool. It also includes telephone or video-based interviews which are conducted to minimize any travel-related environmental impact.

Examples:
Google and Timberland have made concreted efforts in portraying themselves as environment friendly organizations, having programs that support environmental issues .The programs includes extending $ 5,000 subsidies for employee who buy hybrid cars , dining facilities that serve organic food, charitable contributions to organizations that fight global warming .
Reasons behind this concept:
The examples of companies such as Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Bhopal Gas Tragedy by Union Carbide , Hudson and Housatonic river pollution by General Electric killing thousands of people which dented the company’s image affecting sales, employee’s confidence and ability to recruit good candidates.

According to a study conducted by Stanford Graduate School 2007, 77% of the MBA graduates are willing to forgo some income to work for a company that have a strong environment strategy in place.

80% of current employees want to work for a “good company” (one that has a good reputation for environmental responsibility) and this percentage is expected to grow to 90% in the next 10 years. (Corporate Environmental Behavior and the Impact on Brand Values – Tandberg, 2007.)

The time has come for all the employers to assess the degree of Greenness in which they operate .Organizations like Green Biz Check are helping companies to assess their energy conservation’s , water consumption reduction, waste reduction and even going to the extent of Bronze, Silver and Gold Levels of Green Business Certifications.
Green Recruiting provides the company with an opportunity to stand out from the rest of the pack in a crowded recruiting landscape.HR Managers can win Brownie points by taking to Green Recruiting. Green Recruiting is here to stay and will definitely give a competitive edge for head hunters.

Bibliography:
Arvamudhan,NR. “Green Recruitment”. HRM Review IUP Publications(March 2010)
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- Shiva Subramanian